Due to Zhou Yi's utterly ridiculous reasoning, the students simply couldn't accept her logic.
One of them stood up and bluntly said, "Teacher, I don't agree. Why should we be punished for not fighting?"
The rest of the students nodded subconsciously, thinking—Is this teacher out of her mind? It's the first day of class, and you're already punishing us for something like this? Are you here just to mess with us? What did we ever do to you?
But under the furious glares of the students, Zhou Yi, completely unfazed, said coolly, "Because I said so! If you don't like it, you can get lost. As your homeroom teacher, I have the authority to expel any student. You have one minute. If I don't see all of you running laps around Shrek Plaza within one minute, you'll all be expelled."
As she spoke, a terrifying aura surged from her body, and six soul rings rose from beneath her feet.
Watching this scene, Huo Yuhao could only shake his head internally. His impression of this teacher took another nosedive. He even felt this person wasn't fit to be a teacher at all—more like a disgrace to the profession. The fact that Shrek Academy kept someone like this on staff just showed how rotten the institution had become.
Forget it… just endure a little longer.
Even if the teachers here are terrible, it's still called the number one academy on the continent. There must be some unique training methods, right? Plus, if I can make it into the inner court, I'll get access to better resources.
That's still way more reliable than wandering the world alone, Huo Yuhao consoled himself silently.
Of course, beyond all those reasons, the real reason he decided to stay—for now—was Tang Ya and Bei Bei. After all, they were the ones who reached out to him when he was at his lowest. He could never forget that kindness. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to disappoint the two of them.
Under Zhou Yi's threat, even though the new students were indignant, they realized how hard it had been just to get into Shrek. If they got expelled over such nonsense, all the family hopes and resources invested in them would be wasted.
So these frustrated and aggrieved students could only shuffle out of the classroom in silence.
Zhou Yi expressionlessly watched them go, then added coldly, "Let me remind you: you have one hour. If you don't complete one hundred laps within that time, you'll be considered unqualified. This is your first entrance evaluation. Anyone who fails will be expelled."
Hearing that, the students immediately sped up and quickly made their way to the training grounds.
Wang Dong looked at Huo Yuhao in surprise—by now, they were the only two left in the classroom.
Zhou Yi's expression seemed to soften a bit, and she even beckoned them over.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao stepped forward.
Looking at the two of them, Zhou Yi nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad. At least there are still two students with some backbone. Tell me, who were you fighting, and why?"
Wang Dong opened his mouth to speak, but Huo Yuhao quickly jumped in. "Teacher, we're roommates. We had a small conflict over something trivial and ended up clashing."
Zhou Yi's interest was piqued. "Oh? Roommates? That's perfect. Roommates fighting is great—it fosters competition and helps you both improve together."
Standing before her, both Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong felt uneasy. They couldn't help wondering if this teacher might be mentally unstable. Her logic seemed completely detached from reality.
Just imagining being her student made them dread the miserable days to come. Who knew when she might suddenly expel them next?
Please don't come up with any more crazy ideas, they both silently prayed.
Zhou Yi forced a smile—one that looked more painful than crying. Her aged face even twitched slightly, and Huo Yuhao realized it was probably due to the poor quality of her facial mask.
She said, "Fighting is good, but I don't like seeing my students fight each other. Remember—next time, fight students from other classes. Shrek Academy has always had loose rules to allow students to express themselves freely. As for fighting, we simply turn a blind eye."
"As long as no one dies, the academy doesn't interfere. Combat is one of the best ways to improve yourself."
"If you make it to second-year, you'll be able to compete in the Soul Duel Zone. Win enough, and the academy even gives out rewards. But for now, you two can go join the running."
Wang Dong was stunned. "Teacher, didn't you say we were the only ones with some backbone?"
Zhou Yi kept that same stiff smile, which somehow looked even more sinister. "But I never said you didn't have to run, did I? Starting the school year by fighting your roommate? How impressive. Since you're both so capable, your assessment should be more difficult than the others. Besides, you need to share the suffering with your classmates. Your deadline for running 100 laps is the same as theirs. Huh—looks like some time's already passed, hasn't it?"
Wang Dong wanted to argue, but Huo Yuhao had already turned around and sprinted off without hesitation.
Seeing him dash off, Wang Dong, although frustrated, could only follow. "What are you running so fast for? That Zhou teacher is a total lunatic."
Huo Yuhao didn't even look back. "She's the teacher. This is her turf. If you don't want to get expelled, you better just do what she says. Hurry up—I believe every word she said about expelling anyone who doesn't finish 100 laps."
After all, he'd heard about this teacher from Bei Bei. A 90% expulsion rate wasn't a joke. This crazy old woman would absolutely follow through on her threats.
What baffled Huo Yuhao the most was—Just how corrupt is Shrek? How could one teacher have the power to arbitrarily expel students without question?
Could this kind of academy really be trusted?
A deep sense of doubt started to take root in his heart.
The two of them began their run.
Even though his physique had greatly improved thanks to his recent training in Innate Mediation Technique, finishing 100 laps in such a short time was still a tall order.
If he had the full hour, Huo Yuhao might barely manage it. But the time lost during Zhou Yi's delay left him badly pressed.
As he ran, he looked ahead at Wang Dong, who had already left him behind. Yet he didn't feel particularly anxious or discouraged. Unlike the original timeline, he now had Elder Ye as a mentor and had inherited the innate mediation technique. He had never doubted that he could become powerful.
Even if he left Shrek now, the unique advantages of his Innate Mediation Technique would allow him to carve out a place for himself in the world.
So even if he ultimately failed the run and got expelled, it wouldn't feel like the end of the world.
Compared to the original story, the current Huo Yuhao had the confidence and foundation to be as stubborn as he liked. He had no reason to be afraid.
It's just some second-rate academy, right?
So what if I don't stay?
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